39. Can Handle That
CAN HANDLE THAT
“ H ow was it during those two weeks with Warren?” her mother asked her on Thursday.
This morning Emma was terrified she was going to miss the ferry and arrive late to her family’s house in Boston.
“It was good,” she said. “Is it horrible to say it’s nice to have my house back to myself though?”
“Stop scrunching your face like that,” her mother said. “And no, it’s not horrible. I love going to the island to write when your father is here. My writing used to make me feel guilty when your father and you children were home. That I should spend time with family and not working.”
“That’s it,” she said. “I feel guilty that I’m writing when he’s sitting around the house. But I can’t write and entertain him.”
Her mother frowned. “Does he expect you to entertain him? I thought you two had an understanding about that?”
“We do,” she said. “But it’s terrible that I feel this way, right?”
“You’ve spent too much time alone,” her mother said. “I think what you have with Warren works because you have so much time apart. Not everyone can handle that.”
“I think it bothers him more than me we are apart,” she said. “Which of course makes me feel guilty. I hate that even more. No one said love made you feel like shit half the time.”
“It’s not half the time,” her mother said, grinning and shaking her head.
Emma’s phone rang and, since she had it in her purse, she pulled it out. She only had it on her in case Warren texted. He was going to let her know when he was on the way.
“Hello,” she answered. The number looked familiar to her, but she wasn’t one to always add contacts.
“Emma, this is Mike Parsons.”
She held her finger up to her mother and walked out of the room. “Hi, Mike.”
“You’re probably confused about why I’m calling you today, aren’t you?”
“Kind of,” she said.
“Happy Thanksgiving. I know you’ll be with Warren today. Hopefully, he’s not there yet since I know he was with the team yesterday again, so he wasn’t on the island.”
Her lips twisted in frustration. He wasn’t supposed to be doing anything but resting. He’d told her how his appointment went with the team doctor and that he had some more time before he’d be practicing.
She didn’t even want him to do that, but wouldn’t tell him. It’s not for her to say. It was his life.
All the concerns she had about his health and safety had to stay hidden. She wouldn’t want someone telling her what she should do with her career.
“No,” she said. “He should be here soon. What’s this about? I’m sure you could call him if you needed him. He’s better at answering the phone than me.”
Mike laughed. “It’s you I wanted to talk to, not him.”
She lifted her eyebrow. “About what?”
“I’m sure you know the doctor told him he could start practicing in about a week.”
“Yes,” she said.
“Well, the team is depending on him. We still have a chance to make the playoffs.”
“How well he recovers has nothing to do with me,” she said.
“True,” Mike said. “But he can stay in better shape and return to the game mentally if he’s at his house and not with you.”
“So you want me to encourage him to stay at his place?” she asked, frowning. She didn’t know where this was going.
“I wouldn’t tell you what to do,” Mike said.
“Sounds like you are,” she said, laughing.
“No,” Mike said. “I assure you. Just wanted to make sure that everyone was on track with no distractions. The season isn’t much longer and Warren has been pretty preoccupied lately. You know, a new relationship...”
“I see,” she said. “You think that he’s thinking of me more than the team?” She was laughing. “I don’t think that is the case. If anyone knows what they are responsible for, it’s Warren. You’re worrying for nothing.”
“I know,” Mike said. “We all know how much football means to Warren. It’s all he’s ever known.
Even his agent said that he’s not sure Warren is ready to give it up yet and is starting to think about where he might end up after this contract.
It’s possible he could get an extension here close to you. I bet you could convince him of that.”
“It’s not anything that concerns me currently,” she said, her heart dropping. Had Warren lied to her about retiring after next season?
It was his decision, not hers.
And it’s not like she needed someone in her space nonstop. Didn’t she just tell her mother she felt guilty he was sitting around while she was working, even though he didn’t care about it?
In her eyes they’d made the past seven months work just fine, so she shouldn’t let this bother her though.
“You say that now,” Mike said. “But the woman always ends up controlling things in the end. I’ve seen it happen more than you realize.”
“You have a nice Thanksgiving,” she said. “Warren just showed up so we should end this.”
She hung up on him before he could say bye. Not rude, just her normal thing.
“Why did you lie to the team’s publicist?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Emma said. “It’s nothing that concerns me.”
“Sure, it does or he wouldn’t have called you,” her mother said. “Do you want to let me in on it?”
“I think Roark and Chelsea are here. I’m going to get Taryn first if you don’t,” she said and took off running for her niece.
After dinner, she felt full and got up to go to the bathroom.
When she was walking down the hall, Warren stopped her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said, moving in to kiss him. “I had to pee. I’m not sure how you don’t go nonstop with as much water as you drink.”
“My body is used to it now,” he said. “Are you sure everything is okay? You’ve been acting odd.”
“I’m always odd,” she said. “Be more specific.”
He angled his head. “I can’t put my finger on it. It’s just a vibe I’m feeling.”
Guess she wasn’t doing that great of a job hiding her annoyance over Mike’s call and the news that Warren was thinking of continuing to play.
Between that and the fact his father had been trying to reach him, she wondered how close they were to each other.
She felt something distracted him on the day of his injury, so maybe Mike was right. He had a lot going on in his life and it was best that he focus on those things first.
“No vibe,” she said. “You’re going back home, right?”
He frowned. “I thought I could go to the island with you, but I just assumed it.”
“Oh,” she said. She knew he was going to, but it was best to have him get back on track. Maybe he needed to return to football with that headspace, like Mike said.
“I don’t have to,” he said. “I guess I could have overstayed my welcome. You can tell me that.”
“It’s fine,” she said. She decided to be honest. “I just think that when you’re in the house and I’m working, I’m feeling guilty that I’m ignoring you. It’s kind of rude.”
“It’s fine with me,” he said reaching for her. “I’d just be sitting around my house alone anyway, but I understand. You’ve got things to do.”
She knew he was hurt. She saw it on his face and was angry at herself for doing that.
Why was she doubting her decision now?
“I do,” she said. “And you’ve got a team depending on you.”
“Yeah,” he said. “All those people I’ve got to make happy.”
He said it with a forced smile, and she felt terrible. Did she just put more on his shoulders?